Homeowners Coming Out Of Dormancy

Published: March 31, 1999 12:00AM

As the thermometer begins to climb above 50 degrees these days, grass roots and flower bulbs aren't the only things shaking off their winter dormancy.

ONE OF THE first signs of spring is yard work like the raking that Sean Demlow took care of at his Christmas Run Boulevard home in Wooster over the weekend. Experts say such work is a good way to start getting the yard in shape for summer. Mike Schenk photo

Human beings, specifically sun-starved northern Ohioans, are prone to an itch about now to get out in the yard and start, well, messing about.

But how much can be accomplished with a few nights of frost, days of cool April showers ahead?

If nothing else, gardeners and lawn-lovers can warm up by cleaning up the refuse left from winter winds and storms, say local gardening experts.

"You could start to pick up sticks and things, because you shouldn't be running the mower over pinecones and twigs," said Mike Fulton, associate professor of horticulture industries at Ohio State University's Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster Township.

Homeowners could dethatch or aerate their lawns now, said Bob Buchwalter of Buchwalter Greenhouse on Back Orrville Road. Aerating punches holes in the lawn for more oxygen to the roots; dethatching scrapes up the old grass clippings to help the grass and roots grow. Dethatching attachments that can be hooked to a mower are available from rental stores, he said.

Fulton recommended dethatching only if there is a problem with thick thatch. Many times thatch is a secondary complication when insects or dry soil become a problem.

This is a good time to seed any patches of bare ground or thin grass, Fulton said -- the earlier the better. Any frosts from now on will open up the ground a bit and help the seed settle better.

Commercial applications such as Scott's Lawn Patch are available, Fulton noted, that include seed, fertilizer and mulch for covering up to 100 square feet of bare patches.

Speaking of fertilizer, Buchwalter and Fulton said it's a good time for spreading some, unless the job was done at the end of the fall.

"Nothing improves a lawn like a good kick of nitrogen," Fulton said.

As with all applications, he warned that homeowners read and follow package directions for fertilizers -- some need to be washed down, others don't.

Preventive treatment for pre-emergent crabgrass should also go on now.

A pre-emergent weed treatment such as Preen could be spread on flower beds to control weeds until mid-summer, he said.

While it's a little early for planting bulbs, perennials such as hostas can be separated now before they actually start growing.

When the weather turns ugly again, gardeners still can take care of a few preliminary jobs. Sharpen the mower blade, Fulton advised. That job involves unscrewing one bolt, typically. Blade sharpeners can jump on the job before the summer rush, he noted, and the improved edge makes a big difference in mowing.

Buchwalter said anxious gardeners can be starting impatience and tomato seedlings inside, letting them grow strong enough to be moved outside around Memorial Day.

Most important, Fulton gave the green light to any eager mowers anxious to get in their first cut of the season.

"You can get some of that brown pall off the top, even it up a bit," he said.

Lawn care is an emotional pursuit, after all, he added, and "lawns are the most rewarding form of gardening."